Trunk



(No Model.)

w. L. HOOKER.

TRUNK- No. 394,488. Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

WITNESSES, Z; 4

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. HOOKER, OF STEELTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,488, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed August 6, 1888- Serial No. 282,089. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. HOOKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Steelton, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunks; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved trunk. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on line as a; in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical crosssection through the middle of the trunk, and Fig. 6 is a plan of the blank used in constructing the bottom.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention has relation to improvements in traveling-trunks, and has for its object to provide a trunk which shall be of such a conformation as to enable it to withstand the roughest usage without injury, while at the same time it may be readily handled while in transit from one place to another.

To this end my invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of the trunk-body, will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, the letter A denotes the trunk-body proper, and B the cover. The latter is of the usual rounded shape common to the class of trunks known as the Saratoga pattern, but the body A is cut away on opposite ends to form beveled or rounded corners 0, whereby opposite ends of the body will assume a curved shape, as shown at I), said curvature corresponding to the curve of the cover, as shown in the end view, thus giving to the trunk a symmetrical and attractive appearance, both curves forming arcs of a circle having a common center.

In eachof the four corners formed by this cutting away of the ends of the bodyis placed an ordinary caster, E, and in the corners of the fiat under side or bottom, F, of the trunk-body are arranged four similar casters, G, thus providing the trunk with eight casters or rollers.

The sides of the trunk and body A are not straight up and down, as in Saratoga trunks of the usual construction, but are swelled or bulged outwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, and also in the cross-section, Fig. 5, these side curves forming arcs in a circle having a common center, but of a radius larger than the radius of the circle formed by the top and bottom arcs. In this manner it will be seen that the body is enabled to resist great lateral pressure, as well as vertical pressure, without danger of being crushed.

Although I do not limit myself to any particular way of building the bottom of my improved trunk, I prefer to construct the same from a blank cut into the shape shown in Fig. 6, this blank of a width corresponding to the width of the trunk, and cut at opposite ends to form projecting fingers H, which, when bent together so as to impinge edgewise upon one another and connected properly by glue or cement, will form the rounded corners of the trunk, which may afterward be re-enforced by covering the ends of the blank or the entire bottom of the trunk with sheet metal or other suitable material. In this manner the bottom may be made of great strength; but, owing to its peculiar shape, the trunk, however heavy, may readily be tilted, so as to set it on end, and may as readily be tilted back into its normal horizontal position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States A trunk having bulging sides and circular ends, and a bottom the sides and base of which are flat and the ends inclined and rounding, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

'WILLIAM L. HOOKER.

itnesses:

CHARLES H. BABE, S. M. BRIGHTBILL. 

